Nuclear Subs 'Collide In Ocean'

Jantastic noted a BBC report saying "A Royal Navy nuclear submarine was involved in a collision with a French nuclear sub in the middle of the Atlantic. It is understood HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant were badly damaged in the crash earlier this month. Despite being equipped with sonar, it seems neither vessel spotted the other, the BBC's Caroline Wyatt said."

Comments

Re:Whoops

[homey of my owney]

The reality is that they now travel very quiet. The collision is just an illustration of that.

Re:Odds ?

[CRCulver]

Indeed, Sherry Sontag's Blind Man's Bluff tells a lot of interesting stories about Russian-American submarine escapades during the Cold War. Sometimes our Navies seemed less like proud defenders of the motherland and more like dumbass high school kids playing chicken.

More information but still speculative

[auric_dude]

http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2009/02/ballistic-missile-submarines-in-deep.html http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/16/subs_crash/

Re:Odds ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Russians used to do what were called "Crazy Ivans."

Yes, we all saw The Hunt for Red October.

Re:Despite each being equipped with sonar?

[Blakey Rat]

Ok, so I'm wrong, but that makes me a troll?

Christ, all moderators are total idiots.
^- that's a troll.

Re:Whoops

[ConanG]

It's obvious you know nothing about nautical subjects. The nautical mile was defined as 1,852 meters in 1929, and every navy in the world uses this definition. It is approximately one arc minute of length along any meridian. All international treaties dealing with distances on water use the same nautical mile definition.

Re:Subs don't always use SONAR

[Registered Coward v2]

IAS, and while we listen on passive it is possible for you not to hear another boat in the water. We have patrol areas and transit lanes set aside to avoid going bump in the night, but shit happens.